ColonelHardisson
What? Me Worry?
Yeah, leaving out the BAB - and then trying to pass off that it was the way the class was supposed to be (remember that?) - was truly silly.
What' your favorite class handbook?
- Thread starter Master Kaul
- Start date
Berandor
lunatic
I can't vote 
None of them are good enough as a whole to be termed "the best".
They are all o.K. of a sort, but
so many errors
every book having a different structure
some very bad ideas
some silly crap
and so many errors
simply don't do it for me.
The good things were mostly very good... but not enough of them.
Berandor
None of them are good enough as a whole to be termed "the best".
They are all o.K. of a sort, but
so many errors
every book having a different structure
some very bad ideas
some silly crap
and so many errors
simply don't do it for me.
The good things were mostly very good... but not enough of them.
Berandor
Seule
Explorer
Sword and Fist has good ideas, but was originally marred by serious rules problems (the sheer quantity of erratta is impressive). Even with the fixes, some of it doesn't seem quite right.
Defenders of the Faith has a few balance issues, and is generally not very imaginative. It suffers from power escalation in some cases.
Tome and Blood has really cool ideas, executed not too badly. Not particularly solid though. The second best in my opinion.
Song and Silence is very solid mechanically, and very well balanced, and the traps mechanics stuff is badly needed, but it suffers from a lack of imagination. It all seems very pedestrian, other than the Fang of Lolth, which is pretty much unuseable in most games.
Masters of the Wild seems to have the best features of both Tome and Blood and Song and Silence. I don't see any glaring balance issues, it's stuffed with cool imaginative content, and the erratta needed seems pretty minimal.
My vote went to MotW.
--Seule
Defenders of the Faith has a few balance issues, and is generally not very imaginative. It suffers from power escalation in some cases.
Tome and Blood has really cool ideas, executed not too badly. Not particularly solid though. The second best in my opinion.
Song and Silence is very solid mechanically, and very well balanced, and the traps mechanics stuff is badly needed, but it suffers from a lack of imagination. It all seems very pedestrian, other than the Fang of Lolth, which is pretty much unuseable in most games.
Masters of the Wild seems to have the best features of both Tome and Blood and Song and Silence. I don't see any glaring balance issues, it's stuffed with cool imaginative content, and the erratta needed seems pretty minimal.
My vote went to MotW.
--Seule
To be honest, as of yet I have only seen certain parts of the Masters of the Wild due to living in Europe. It surprises me how much the opinion on this book differs between people. On the one hand I hear people describing it as a well-done balanced book, but on the other hand people are complaining it is power-game heaven. From what I have seen, I am not all too happy with it. A class that forces a berserker to make a will save to get out of rage or else he will start killing friends? I know this image fits the berserker of old, but it can cause quite a disturbance in a game. A character that can burn magical items to boost his powers? Somehow I don't feel too good about it (though I heard they dealt with it reasonably). A feat that gives a druid blindsight 60 ft? O well, I will wait with my judgement to I have actually read the whole book.
My favourite is the Tomb and Blood by far, followed by Defenders of Faith (except for the rather bland and boring prestige classes and prestige domains, especially good where the new uses of turning). Lowest on my list is Songs and Silence, the prestige classes were terrible (except perhaps the dungeon delver and the thief-acrobat), the contents was rather boring (several pages of musical instruments and advice on thief organisations and how to roleplay a bard or rogue). Only the part on trap making and tumbling was good IMO.
My favourite is the Tomb and Blood by far, followed by Defenders of Faith (except for the rather bland and boring prestige classes and prestige domains, especially good where the new uses of turning). Lowest on my list is Songs and Silence, the prestige classes were terrible (except perhaps the dungeon delver and the thief-acrobat), the contents was rather boring (several pages of musical instruments and advice on thief organisations and how to roleplay a bard or rogue). Only the part on trap making and tumbling was good IMO.
Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
So far I think I've got the most use out of Defenders of the Faith and Tome & Blood.
Desdichado
Hero
I know this probably isn't important to most posters here, but I would have voted Masters of the Wild hands down if Wayne Reynolds had illustrated most of it, as he did for Sword and Fist and Tome and Blood.
Masters of the wild - by far the best. The Frenzied Berzerker is interesting for an NPC, but not as a PC - I'd probably disallow it as too disruptive to the group. The SHifter is very interesting, one I'd love to play myself. The Forsaker (aforementioned class that gets powers by destroying magic items) made me nervous that it would be too underpowered at first, as they can't use ANY magic or magic items, and have to roll a saving throw to resist healing magic.
The feats are great - not too powerful but interesting abilities to let you focus your character in a paticular direction.
Next fave is Tome and Blood. Solid book, good class, interesting feats. No real problems with it.
Song and Silence wasn't too bad. The different musical instruments actually altering the musical ability is interesting, though I'd like to have seen some of the more interesting 2e kits made into classes.
Defenders of the Faith isn't bad, it was just kind of bland. Divine feats were the coolest part
Sword and Fist - need I say more? Mercurial Weapons are just plain silly. The classes are either uninteresting or overpowered.
The feats are great - not too powerful but interesting abilities to let you focus your character in a paticular direction.
Next fave is Tome and Blood. Solid book, good class, interesting feats. No real problems with it.
Song and Silence wasn't too bad. The different musical instruments actually altering the musical ability is interesting, though I'd like to have seen some of the more interesting 2e kits made into classes.
Defenders of the Faith isn't bad, it was just kind of bland. Divine feats were the coolest part
Sword and Fist - need I say more? Mercurial Weapons are just plain silly. The classes are either uninteresting or overpowered.
I voted for MotW. I think that several of the prestige classes seem quite a bit unbalanced - bane of infidels for example - but I still picked it. They took three of the least popular classes in D&D all in one book and wrote up material that actually makes them all sound much more fun to play. This book had the biggest chance of being a flop but it turned out well.
I don't like Tome and Blood so much because I'm not a big wizard/sorcerer fan. That probably helped to decide my vote as well.
I don't like Tome and Blood so much because I'm not a big wizard/sorcerer fan. That probably helped to decide my vote as well.
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